Lewis Hamilton has accused former drivers of "not knowing what they are talking about" in their criticism of his move to Mercedes.

Fresh from his fifth-place finish in Melbourne, Hamilton said it had been "nice to prove people wrong" in his first race for his new team.

At the time he announced the switch Sir Stirling Moss said it was not "too clever to leave McLaren" while in January Jackie Stewart said it as "a risk …maybe a risk worth taking" and added it was "an emotional decision but it may not prove to be the right one".

The remarks seem to have struck a nerve and Hamilton hit back. "It's been everyone, particularly all the ex-drivers commenting that it was the worst decision ever. They said: 'He's going to finish nowhere, they're going to be nowhere.' And then they contradicted themselves, going the other way.

"They don't know what they're talking about. They're either this way or that, when the truth is the bit in the middle."